erless bridges, roads, museums, were planned; and the
vain were flattered with rising monuments of magnificence, while the
wise recognised in every such display the depths and forecast of a
genius made for empire.

Thus far the measures of the Consulate may be said to have carried with
them the approbation of all but a few individuals. They were accompanied
or followed by proceedings, some of which roused, or strengthened and
confirmed, sentiments of a very different description among various
important classes of the French community; while others were well
calculated to revive the suspicion of all the neighbouring nations.

It is said that the first idea of the Legion of Honour arose in the
breast of Napoleon on witnessing one day, from a window at the
Tuileries, the admiration with which the crowd before the palace
regarded the stars and crosses worn by the Marquis Lucchesini,
ambassador of Prussia, as he descended from his carriage. The
republican members of the senate could not be persuaded that the
institution of an order, with insignia, was anything but the first step
to the creation of a new body of nobility; and they resisted the
proposed measure with considerable pertinacity. On this head, as on that
of the concordat with the Pope, the Consul condescended to enter
personally into discussion with the chief persons who differed from his
opinion, or suspected his intentions; and if any, who heard his language
on this occasion, doubted that both nobility and monarchy were designed
to follow hard behind the Legion of Honour, they must have been
singularly slow of understanding. _Berthier_ had called ribbons and
crosses "the playthings of monarchy," and cited the Romans of old as
"having no system of honorary rewards." "They are always talking to us
of the Romans," said Buonaparte. "The Romans had patricians, knights,
citizens, and slaves:--for each class different dresses and different
manners--honorary recompenses for every species of merit--mural
crowns--civic crowns--ovations--triumphs--titles. When the noble band of
patricians lost its influence, Rome fell to pieces--the people were vile
rabble. It was then that you saw the fury of Marius, the proscriptions
of Sylla, and afterwards of the emperors. In like manner Brutus is
talked of as the enemy of tyrants: he was an aristocrat, who stabbed
Caesar, because Caesar wished to lower the authority of the noble senate.
You talk of _child's rattles_--be it so: it is w